Adjusting device



Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES ADJUSTING DEVICE Guy Conner,Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to Wheeling Steel Gorporation, Wheeling, W.Va., a corporation of Delaware Application July 7, 1934, Serial No.734,221

12 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to adjusting devices. It relates moreparticularly to devices for adjusting or applying retaining devices ofthe expansible and contractible hollow or discontinuous annular typesuch as are used, for example, retaining covers or heads in place oncontainers or the like and to the application thereof.

Expansible and contractible hollow retaining meansarenow widely used forvarious purposes, among theprincipal of which are retaining headsinplace on various kinds of containers, such as sheet metaldrums havingoutward peripheral projections at their mouths, and holding togethersteelbarrels and similar constructions. Most such retaining devices areprovided integrallywith their own operating means, such as link andlever" mechanism, which may be used forexpanding and contracting theretaining devices. Retaining devices of this type are, however;relatively expensive, and, although they are eminently suitable forcertain purposes, as for use with metal drums which are to be returnedand reused, their cost represents too great a proportion of the cost ofa filled package to make their use desirable or economical in certainother cases, as when the packages are not intended for reuse but areintended to be discarded or destroyed.

I have provided a very inexpensive but nevertheless highly usefulretaining device which may be=discarded or destroyed after being usedonce. Inorderto reduce to a minimum. the cost of the retaining device Ido not attach to it any link and lover or other operating mechanism, and

in its simplest form it comprises simply an expansible and contractiblehollow retaining means having cooperating end portions adapted to beengaged by a separate applying device to move the same to appliedposition and means whereby the retaining means may be maintained inapplied position. 1

As the retaining device would be extremely difficult to apply by handtightly enough to most 45 eifecti'vely serve its purpose, I provide anadjusting or applying device separate from the retaining device andadapted for use in 'appli-.

cation of the retaining device, after which other means are employed tomaintain the retaining device in applied position andthe applying deviceis removed. The applying device is such that it may be set in place ontop of a drum or other container to which a retaining device is" beingapplied and has portions shaped to 55%. operatively engage the retainingmeans adjacent the ends thereof and means for operating the same to movethe retaining means to applied position; The word apply and itsderivatives are herein used in the same sense as the word adjust and itsderivatives.

Other details, objects andadvantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodi mentthereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention, in which Figure lis a plan view of a metal drum havinga head in place thereon and showing the application of a retainingdevice and an applying device for performing such function;

Figure 2 is an elevational' view of the upper portion ofthe drum andother mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 isan enlarged partial elevational View, partly in centralvertical cross section, similar to Figure 2' and showing the retainingdevice moved to applied position;

Figure 4 is apartial central vertical crosssectional view through theconstruction sho in Figure 3-;

Figure?) is a detail top plan View of one end of the retaining device;and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan View of the applying device with the partsindicated in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in anotherposition.

For purposes of illustration only I have shown the invention as embodiedin a retaining device comprising expansible and contractible hollowretainingmeans adapted to be contracted about a container, such ,as ametal drum, to maintain a cover or head in place thereon and to beexpanded or permitted to expand so as to allow removal of the retainingmeans so that the cover or head may be removed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral. 2designates generally a sheet metal drum provided with the usual rollingrings, one of which is shown at 3, and the usual rim bead. 4. Applied tothe drum is a cover or head 5 which is of the hollow type having anupwardly and outwardlyturned flange 6. The flange 6 of the head isadapted to overlie the rim bead 4 of the drum and interposedtherebetween is a gasket 1. All of the parts above described maybe ofstandard construction.

For maintaining the head in place on the drum there. is provided aretaining device 8 which comprises ahollow expansible and contractiblesheet metal retaining member 9 of generally V-shaped cross section, asshown in Figure 3. Riveted to each end of the retaining member 9 byrivets I0 is a member II, which may also be of sheet metal. The innerend of each of the members I l is struck up to form a projection I2, fora purpose presently to be described, and the metal at the outer end isreversely turned, as shown at l3, to form a portion of double thickness.Such portion extends downwardly forming an eye l4, for a purposepresently to be described, and also an underlying lug l5 having anopening 5 therein.

In applying the retaining device the same is first loosely put intoposition about the rim bead 4 and flange 6 in usual manner, as shown inFigure 2. As considerable force is required to tightly contract theretaining device so as to maintain a mechanically-tight and fluid-tightseal between the drum and the head, I provide an applying device,designated generally by reference numeral l1, and which has a base platel8 adapted to overlie the inner portion of the hollow head 5. On thebottom of the base plate I8 are three downwardly projecting feet or lugsI9, 25 and 2!, respectively. These lugs are, respectively, of suchheight as to cooperate with the top of the head and maintain the baseplate in position substantially perpendicular to the axis of thedrum.The lugs 19 and 2E! arealso adapted to lie against the inner surface ofthe upwardly and outwardly turned flange 3 of the cover and to bearagainst such flange so as to ofier a reaction to the force required tomove the retaining device to applied position.

There is also provided as a part of the applying device I! an upperplate 22. Pins 23 extend upwardly from the base plate l8 and through theupper plate 22. The upper plate is spaced from the base plate, enlargedhub portions 24 of oppositely disposed operating members or arms 25lying between the base plate and the upper plate. Cotter pins 26maintain the assembly. The arms 25 are pivotally movable about the pins23, as indicated in Figure 6. Each arm 25 has a downwardly projectingouter extremity 21 shaped to engage the retaining device 8 and to lieagainst the respective projections 12 thereof in. pressure applyingrelationship, as shown in Figure 3.

For operating the members 25 there is provided a disc 28 underlying theupper plata 22 and rigidly connected to the base of an operating shaft29 provided with an operating handle 30. The shaft 29 passes upwardlythrough the upper plate 22. Underlying the disc 28 and pivoted theretoat opposite sides thereof by pins 3| are a pair of links 32 of the formclearly shown in Figure 1. One of these links extends toward and ispivoted to each of the members 25 by a pin 33.

.The respective assemblies are maintained by cotter pins 34 and 35. Eachof the links 32 is of curved shape, as shown in. Figure 6, to permitrelative movement thereof in the same plane as indicated in such figure.The disc 28 is adapted .to partake of rotary movement throughoutapproximately 180". In the full line position of the parts of Figurefithe members 25 are drawn to their extreme inward limits, the pivotalconnection of each of the links with the disc 28 lying substantially inline with and between the pivotal connectionof the other link with thedisc and the pivotal connection of such other link with its cooperatingmember 25. In order to permit such movement the links are shaped in thepeculiar "manner above referred to. Inward movement of the members 25 isautomatically limited by engagement of the inner end of each link withthe curved portion of the other link. Rotation of the disc 28 in theopposite direction moves the members 25 outwardly, such outward movementbeing automatically limited by engagement of projections 36 on therespective links, as shown in Figure 1.

The applying device is applied to the drum head by simply placing thesame thereon and moving the applying device outwardly until the lugs 19and 2!] engage the inner surface of the flange 5. One of the members 25is disposed adjacent each end of the retaining device, as shown inFigure 1, and so that upon operation of the handle 30 the respectiveportions 21 of the members 25 will bear against the projections l2 ofthe retaining device and move the retaining device to applied position.The head is maintained in place on the drum by wedging engagementbetween the retaining device and the rim bead 4 and the flange 5, aswell known in the art. The applying device is effective for drawing theends of the retaining device together, as shown in Figure 3, whereupona. bolt 31 is passed through :2.

the respective eyes l4 and a nut 38 applied thereto and tightened up tomaintain the retaining device in applied position. After the nut 38 hasbeen tightened up the handle 30 of the applying device is turned in. theopposite direction to move I.

the members 25 apart, whereupon the applying device may simply be liftedoff of the drum head and used on another drum. If it is desired to sealthe retaining device in place against unauthorized tampering a sealingwire may be passed through the openings 16in the lugs I5. A padlock orequivalent device may also be used.

Certain subject matter disclosed but not claimed in this application isclaimed in my copending application Serial No. 32,163, filed July 19,1935, which is a division of this application.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim: 1. A device for changing the diameter of discontinuous annularretaining means to hold a closure member in place on a container,comprising a base member engaging the closure memher so that the basemember is positioned by the closure member, means connected with saidbase member and engaging the retaining means adjacent the ends thereofand operable to change the diameter of the retaining means, and meansfor operating said last mentioned means to change the diameter of theretaining means.

2. A device for changing the diameter of discontinuous annular retainingmeans to hold a closure member in place on a container, comprising abase member engaging the closure member so that the base member ispositioned by the closure member, means connected with said base memberhaving portions respectively abutting protruding portions of theretaining means ad jacent the ends thereof in a direction generallyalong the retaining means and operable to change the diameter of theretaining means without moving the ends thereof substantially outofalignment, and means for operating said last mentioned means to changethe diameter of the retaining means.

'3. A device of the class described, comprising means adapted to lie incontact with a head being applied to a container and means connectedwith said first mentioned means adapted to engage expansible andcontractible discontinuous annular head retaining means adjacent theends thereof and operable to move said retaining means to predeterminedposition.

4. A device for changing the diameter of discontinuous annularexpansible and contractible head retaining means on a container or thelike comprising means adapted to lie in contact with the head, meansconnected therewith adapted to engage the retaining means and operableto move the retaining means to predetermined position, and means foroperating said last mentioned means to move the retaining means topredetermined position.

5. A device for changingthe diameter of discontinuous annularexp-ansible and contractible head retaining means on a container or thelike comprising means adapted to lie in contact with the head, meansconnected therewith having portions shaped to operatively engage theretaining means adjacent the ends thereof and operable to move theretaining means to predetermined position, and means including linkmeans for operating said last mentioned means to move the retainingmeans to predetermined position.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of cooperatingarms having portions respectively abutting protruding portions ofdiscontinuous annular expansible and contractible retaining meansadjacent the ends thereof in a direction generally along such means, andmeans separate from said arms for operating the sameto change thediameter of said retaining means without moving the ends thereofsubstantially out of alignment.

7. A device for changing the diameter of discontinuous annularexpansible and oontractible head retaining means on a container or thelike comprising means adapted to abut portions of the retaining meansadjacent the ends thereof in a direction generally along the retainingmeans so as to be adapted to move such portions in said directionwithout moving the ends of the retaining means substantially out ofalignment and means including a rotatable operating shaft whose axisextends substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of saidfirst mentioned means for operating said first mentioned means.

8. A device of the class described, comprising an operating handle andcooperating arms separate from said handle but connected therewith andrelatively movable upon operation thereof for abutting portions ofexpansible and contractib'le discontinuous annular retaining meansadjacent the ends thereof in a direction generally along the retainingmeans for moving said retaining means to predetermined position withoutmoving the ends thereof substantially out of alignment.

9. A device of the class described, comprising a base member,cooperating means pivotally connected directly to said base member forengaging expansible andcontractible discontinuous annular retainingmeans adjacent the ends thereof and means for pivotally moving saidfirst mentioned means to change the diameter of the retaining means.

10. A device of the class described, comprising a base member,cooperating means pivotally connected with said base member for engagingexpansible and contractible discontinuous annular retaining meansadjacent the ends thereof and means including rotatable operating meansand link means connecting said first mentioned means thereto forpivotally moving said first mentioned means to change the diameter ofthe retaining means. i

11. A device of the class described, comprising means adapted to lie incontact with a head being applied to a container, means connected withsaid first mentioned means adapted to engage expansible and contractiblediscontinuous annular head retaining means adjacent the ends thereof,and means movable generally parallel to the plane of the retaining meansfor operating said second mentioned means to move the retaining means topredetermined position.

12. A device of the class described, comprising a base member,cooperating means pivotally connected with said base member for engagingexpansible and contractible discontinuous annular retaining meansadjacent the ends thereof, a rotatable member, link means pivoted tosaid first mentioned means and to said rotatable member and a handle forrotating said rotatable member to pivotally move said first mentionedmeans to change the diameter of the retaining means.

GUY 0. CONNER.

